The present invention relates to a cosmetic dispensing device, more particular to a improved structure for the controlled release of a cosmetic from a reservoir into an attached application brush.
Examples from the prior art include U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0111901 to Belil, U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,960 to Seager and U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,300. Each of these prior art references disclose a reservoir into which is disposed a hollow, externally threaded cylinder. Rotation of the cylinder causes an internally threaded plunger to be displaced into the reservoir, creating pressure inside the reservoir and forcing the liquid in the reservoir through the open bottom of the operating cylinder. The top of the operating cylinder is attached to a dispensing portion and the liquid displaced from the reservoir is guided through the cylinder to the dispensing portion.
The conventional structure of a cosmetic dispensing unit, as seen in each of the three above identified prior art references, comprises a lid or cover part, driving parts and a rotating part, wherein the driving parts are connected to a piston so that the piston moves by turning the rotating part to push liquid cosmetic from a reservoir inside the dispensing unit to a dispensing portion, e.g. a brush, used for applying the cosmetic.
The rotating part in the conventional structure is either the lid or is attached to the lid. Thus, it is exposed and permits accidental cosmetic leaks, i.e. by transmitting vibration to the driving structures when the lip pencil is left in a handbag.
In addition, the driving parts of the conventional structure may be rotated in the wrong direction. Such a driving action results in the piston being driven and moving in the wrong direction so that air is sucked into the reservoir or a vacuum is created in the reservoir. In either case, rotation in the proper direction after improper rotation will require an excessive number of rotations and may result in over dispensing of cosmetic by way of the excessive rotations or due to entrapped air. Some conventional cosmetic dispensers compensate for this by allowing the dispenser to be rotated only in one direction in order to avoid forming the vacuum inside the reservoir. This avoids cosmetic backing up into the reservoir and the undesirable condition that the dispensing of excessive cosmetic due to compressed entrapped air. However, consumers may attempt to rotate the rotating part in either direction in use and, thus, if the lip pencil can be rotated only in one direction some users may perceive that too much cosmetic is being dispensed as compared to a dispenser that can be turned in either direction. The user's misperception of a ‘broken’ dispenser is also avoided.
With the configuration of the driving parts of the conventional cosmetic dispenser, the dispenser must necessarily have a cylindrical cross section, thereby resulting in a limited number of shapes and configurations.